A New Game

First off, if my post yesterday may have offended anyone -I was more than a bit angry, hurt, very, very upset and irritated - I apologize for that. I may rant from time to time but usually it is about the inequities that I see, from my viewpoint, that exist in society, overall. I don't usually do that and get down and dirty and personal in my rants and I did that yesterday. I am still quite upset as it will take a while for the feelings I have over this episode to dissolve and evaporate but I should have tempered my words a bit I suppose.

With that in mind though, I'm going to share something here that a friend of mine sent me this morning. This friend lives about 50-60 miles from me and I haven't seen her and her husband in over six years now - not since I quit the job I had back then at the Plaza about 30 miles from here. She knew nothing of the turmoil in my life right now but always seems to have a sixth sense about things and somehow manages to send me little things via e-mail that can point me in a different, perhaps much more positive direction.

If you don't like things that have a strong religious aspect to them, then I apologize in advance to you for this piece. But it was something I liked especially and can use portions of it in the way I operate my life perhaps. Who knows, maybe someone else will read it and feel it impacts them the same way it did me. I don't know who wrote it, where it originated, so I have no means as to who to acknowledge, to give the credit where credit is due for the piece. Hope I don't get in any deep doo-doo for not having that information to post with it too. Wouldn't that be just about my luck too though?

But anyway, here it is and here's hoping it helps fill a little bit of a void in someone else as it did for me today.

THE LORD'S BASEBALL GAME

Freddy and the Lord stood by to observe a baseball game. The Lord's team was playing Satan's team.

The Lord's team was at bat, the score was tied zero to zero, and it was the bottom of the 9th inning with two outs. They continued to watch as a batter stepped up to the plate named 'Love.'

Love swung at the first pitch and hit a single, because "Love never fails."

The next batter was named Faith, who also got a single because Faith works with Love.

The next batter up was named Godly Wisdom. Satan wound up and threw the first pitch. Godly Wisdom looked it over and let it pass:

Ball one. Three more pitches and Godly Wisdom walked because he never swings at what Satan throws.

The bases were now loaded. The Lord then turned to Freddy and told him He was now going to bring in His star player. Up to the plate stepped Grace. Freddy said, "He
sure doesn't look like much!"

Satan's whole team relaxed when they saw Grace. Thinking he had won the game, Satan wound up and fired his first pitch. To the shock of everyone, Grace hit the ball harder than anyone had ever seen! But Satan was not worried; his center fielder let very few get by.

He went up for the ball, but it went right through his glove, hit him on the head and sent him crashing on the ground; the roaring crowds went wild as the ball continued over the fence . . . for a home run!

The Lord's team won!

The Lord then asked Freddy if he knew why Love, Faith and Godly Wisdom could get on
base but couldn't win the game. Freddy answered that he didn't know why.

The Lord explained, "If your love, faith and wisdom had won the game, you would think you had done it by yourself. Love, Faith and Wisdom will get you on base but only My Grace can get you Home: 'For by Grace are saved, it is a gift of God; not of works, lest any man should boast."

Psalm 84:11, "For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord will give grace and glory; no good thing will He withhold from those who walk uprightly."

And there you have it - just some good words to think about in how we may chose to run our own "ballgames."